Philip Seymour Hoffman’s 10 Best Supporting Roles

It’s a testament to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s talents as an actor that you don’t automatically associate him with a few career defining starring roles, even though he had them in The Master and Capote. No matter how much screen time his characters had in a film, and whether he was playing a lonely everyman or a cocky rich kid, Hoffman always brought them to life in a way that was captivating. In honor of the late, great, actor, here are Philip Seymour Hoffman’s most memorable supporting roles. And be sure to catch him in Boogie Nights this month on IFC.

10. The Ides of March, Paul Zara

In this Ryan Gosling/George Clooney political thriller, it’s Hoffman who brings the necessary gravitas as the grizzled campaign veteran providing a lesson in loyalty. Watching a Philip Seymour Hoffman character tell a story is like hearing Itzhak Perlman playing the violin. Few actors could bring truth to a scene without ever having to raise their voice.

9. Punch Drunk Love, Dean Trumbell

20002’s Punch Drunk Love is mostly remembered as being the one film that was able to bring out a strong performance in a dramatic role from Adam Sandler. But the reveal of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the sleazy Dean Trumbell, who manages the phone sex line that was trying to extort money from Sandler’s lonely protagonist Barry Egan, was a treat for the audience. Hoffman’s blow-dried hairstyle helps create the look of a sleazebag and his character hilariously spars with Egan’s rage-filled lonely man with love on his side.

8. The Talented Mr. Ripley, Freddie Miles

In The Talented Mr. Ripley, Hoffman used his talents to portray a privileged playboy with a cocky attitude and a flamboyance that wouldn’t be out of place in The Great Gatsby. The scene in which he sees through Ripley’s charade is brilliantly played by Hoffman as he enjoys getting a rise out of the young interloper. A rare straight man role for Hoffman that demonstrated he could play both blue bloods and oddballs with equal flair.

7. Magnolia, Phil Parma

In a cast filled with veteran character actors and movie stars, Hoffman shows once again he is both, delivering a subtle but powerful performance as one of the film’s few truly goodhearted characters. Here he plays Phil Parma, a nurse providing care to the ailing Earl Patridge, played by the legendary Jason Robards in his final role. Phil’s story revolves around him doggedly trying to track down Earl’s son Frank T.J. Mackey (Tom Cruise) and fulfill his dying wish.

6. Hard Eight, Young Craps Player

Hard Eight was Paul Thomas Anderson’s directorial debut, and kicked off a long-running partnership with Hoffman. In this dark drama about the seedy side of the gambler’s life in Vegas, Hoffman plays a cocky young craps player with a mullet to match his attitude. He brings a Travolta-like flair to his brief back-and-forth with the stoic Philip Baker Hall. Watch the scene and witness a classic acting tennis match.

5. The Big Lebowski, Brandt

Great actors love to work with great directors and Philip Seymour Hoffman fit perfectly into the Coen Brothers’ hilariously quirky world. Hoffman’s uncomfortable facial expressions alone are hilarious in his brief scenes as Brandt, the titular Big Lebowski’s perpetually uptight assistant. His nervous laugh is a quirky finishing touch to the character.

4. Along Came Polly, Sandy Lyle

Along Came Polly is one of the rare underrated Ben Stiller romcoms of the 2000s, with some legitimate funny moments and great performances by Alec Baldwin, Hank Azaria and Philip Seymour Hoffman in small roles. Hoffman is hilarious as a washed-up former teen actor who had a brief bit of fame in a 1980s “Brat Pack”-type movie called Crocodile Tears. You might want to clear your throat before watching Hoffman as Sandy Lyle deliver one of the funniest speeches you’ll ever see in a comedy.

3. Charlie Wilson’s War, Gust Avrakotos

Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Gust Avrakotos is a cantankerous, rough-around-the-edges CIA operative who lives in the background of foreign affairs. He teams up with Tom Hank’s charming Texas schmoozer of a Congressman in a clandestine operation to provide Afghani rebels arms in their war against the Soviets. Hoffman was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and his brash, slovenly spy elevates every scene with Hanks’ Charlie Wilson. Hoffman relishes the little nuances of his character, like the way a cigarette dangles from his mouth as he holds a cup of coffee.

2. Almost Famous, Lester Bangs

What was so great about Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance as rock journalist Lester Bangs? “In a word…everything.” Bangs wasn’t just talking to naïve young journalist William Miller when he reminds him that it’s okay to be uncool; he’s talking to anyone who has ever been a teenager. Hoffman’s Lester Bangs provides the gruff and comforting voice of reason to the wide-eyed William, helping him to realize that the rock-and-roll lifestyle isn’t all fame, fortune and groupies.

1. Boogie Nights, Scotty

It’s hard to stick out in a film overflowing with iconic performances, but Philip Seymour Hoffman’s Scotty lingers in your memory long after the disco ball has come down. Scotty, in his too-tight tank tops, doesn’t quite look right next to the attractive porn actors but he fits in perfectly with this group of misfits. In a movie where Mark Wahlberg wears a prosthetic dong, Scotty strikes a surprising chord of loneliness and unrequited love that anyone can relate to. Watching the film now is a reminder of great things to come for Philip Seymour Hoffman, and of how much his talents are missed by movie fans.

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Make The Holidays ’80s Again

Enjoy the holiday cheer Wednesday December 21 at 10P on IFC.

Posted by Ben Cochran on November 30thPhoto Credit: Everett Collection

Whatever happened to the kind of crazy-yet-cozy holiday specials that blanketed the early winter airwaves of the 1980s? Unceremoniously killed by infectious ’90s jadedness? Slow fade out at the hands of early-onset millennial ennui? Whatever the reason, nixing the tradition was a huge mistake.

A huge mistake that we’re about to fix.

Announcing IFC’s Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special, starring Tony Hale. It’s a celeb-studded extravaganza in the glorious tradition of yesteryear featuring Bridget Everett, Jo Firestone, Nick Thune, Jen Kirkman, house band The Dap-Kings, and many more. And it’s at Joe’s Pub, everyone’s favorite home away from home in the Big Apple.

The yuletide cheer explodes Wednesday December 21 at 10P. But if you were born after 1989 and have no idea what void this spectacular special is going to fill, sample from this vintage selection of holiday hits:

Andy Williams and The NBC Kids Search For Santa

The quintessential holiday special. Get snuggly and turn off your brain. You won’t need it.

A Muppet Family Christmas

The Fraggles. The Muppets. The Sesame Street gang. Fate. The Jim Henson multiverse merges in this warm and fuzzy Holiday gathering.

Julie Andrews: The Sound Of Christmas

To this day a foolproof antidote to holiday cynicism. It’s cheesy, but a good cheese. In this case an Alpine Gruyère.

Star Wars Holiday Special

Okay, busted. This one was released in 1978. Still totally ’80s though. And yes that’s Bea Arthur.

Pee Wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special

Pass the eggnog, and make sure it’s loaded. This special is everything you’d expect it to be and much, much more.

Joe’s Pub Presents: A Holiday Special premieres Wednesday December 21 at 10P on IFC.

A Guide to Coping with the End of Comedy Bang! Bang!

After five seasons and 110 halved-hour episodes, Scott Aukerman’s hipster comedy opus, Comedy Bang! Bang!, has come to an end. Fridays at 11 and 11:30P will never be the same. We know it can be hard for fans to adjust after the series finale of their favorite TV show. That’s why we’ve prepared this step-by-step guide to managing your grief.

Step One: Cry it out

It’s just natural. We’re sad too.

Step Two: Read the CB!B! IMDB Trivia Page

The show is over and it feels like you’ve lost a friend. But how well did you really know this friend? Head over to Comedy Bang! Bang!’s IMDB page to find out some things you may not have known…like that it’s “based on a Civil War battle of the same name” or that “Reggie Watts was actually born with the name Theodore Leopold The Third.”

Step Three: Listen to the podcast

One fascinating piece of CB!B! trivia that you might not learn from IMDB is that there’s a podcast that shares the same name as the TV show. It’s even hosted by Scott Aukerman! It’s not exactly like watching the TV show on a Friday night, but that’s only because each episode is released Monday morning. If you close your eyes, the podcast is just like watching the show with your eyes closed!

Step Four: Watch brand new CB!B! clips?!

The best way to cope with the end of Comedy Bang! Bang! is to completely ignore that it’s over — because it’s not. In an unprecedented move, IFC is opening up the bonus CB!B! content vault. There are four brand new, never-before-seen sketches featuring Scott Aukerman, Kid Cudi, and “Weird Al” Yankovic ready for you to view on the IFC App. There’s also one right here, below this paragraph! Watch all four b-b-bonus clips and feel better.

Binge the entire final season, plus exclusive sketches, right now on the IFC app.

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The Four-Day Sweatsgiving Weekend On IFC

This long holiday weekend is your time to gobble gobble gobble and give heartfelt thanks—thanks for the comfort and forgiveness of sweatpants. Because when it comes right down to it, there’s nothing more wholesome and American than stuffing yourself stupid and spending endless hours in front of the TV in your softest of softests.

So get the sweats, grab the remote and join IFC for four perfect days of entertainment.

It all starts with a 24-hour T-day marathon of Rocky Horror Picture Show, then continues Friday with an all-day binge of Stan Against Evil.

By Saturday, the couch will have molded to your shape. Which is good, because you’ll be nestled in for back-to-back Die Hard and Lethal Weapon.

Finally, come Sunday it’s time to put the sweat back in your sweatpants with The Shining, The Exorcist, The Chronicles of Riddick, Terminator 2, and Blade: Trinity. They totally count as cardio.

As if you need more convincing, here’s Martha Wash and the IFC&C Music Factory to hammer the point home.